Dr. Kayode Opeifa, the managing director of the Nigeria Railway Corporation, has warned against the destruction of railway infrastructure, claiming that these vital parts are priceless national resources that are necessary for the nation’s economic growth and unity rather than being merely scrap.
In a Saturday interview with Channels Television’s “Hard Copy,” Opeifa underlined the importance of the railway system beyond its direct use for transportation, stressing how it unites Nigeria’s varied population.
“We don’t have scraps in the Nigerian railway; we have national assets,” the NRC MD said in response to the ongoing problem of vandalism, specifically the theft of railway supplies.
He made a distinction between the functioning, integrative infrastructure that serves as the foundation for the country’s connectedness and the rubbish that is dumped.
Opeifa recounted encountering similar issues internationally but pointed out a unique local problem.
“I was at a conference in South Africa I think in the month of April and I was shocked that people are even stealing electric cables that powers their trade,” he noted, contrasting this with the prevalent issue in Nigeria. “but what do they steal here they steal the steel and they call it scrap.”
He stressed the destructive impact of such acts, explaining that these “scraps” are in fact fundamental elements that facilitate national cohesion.
“Those are the assets that link our people by culture, by religion, by tribe to each other. Through those tracks, you can transit from Lagos to Osogbo speaking Yoruba. You’ve got to learn speaking further when you get to Ilorin to Mokua and Niger, you change to Nupe from Nupe you start speaking Hausa and go further to speak Igbo. You speak fufide in Kaura Namoda or some other language when you go to the other side you are speaking calabari, you speak Edo then if you want to go further, you speak Hebrew and you move further you start speaking Tiv and when you get to Maiduguri, you are speaking Kanuri”, Opeifa said.
The NRC MD underscored that any act of vandalism is akin to striking at the very core of Nigeria’s national identity. “Anybody vandalising them is like going to the heart of our people, the integration that binds us together,” he lamented.
Opeifa appealed directly to local communities situated along the railway corridors, urging them to take ownership and ensure the survival of these vital assets.
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He pointed out that rail lines often transform surrounding areas into major cities, thereby serving the direct interests of the local populace.
“Every part the railway passes through becomes a major city so it is in the interest of the locals too to make sure the railway survives,” he added.
While not detailing specific security measures taken, Opeifa implied ongoing efforts, stating, “I wouldn’t want to talk about what we have been doing so far but we just pray that we continue to do them and want to appeal to the communities who are supporting us to continue to support us the area we need them more is in the area of vandalism.”
